Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 7 July 1999

Scottish Executive

Information

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for providing its publications in an accessible format for people with sight impairments and other disabilities.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Office has produced key documents in a number of formats including Braille, large print, audio and sign language video formats. It is expected that this practice will continue under the Scottish Executive. We will also be taking into account the commitments required to meet the needs of disabled people contained in the Disability Discrimination Act.

Transport

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish details of the status of its evaluation of the proposed new Glasgow South orbital road.

Sarah Boyack: As the proposed Glasgow Southern Orbital road (GSO) needs a safe and reliable link with the existing A77 trunk road, or with any upgraded M77/A77 which might replace it, implementation of the GSO proposals is linked to decisions on the A77. A proposed upgrading to motorway of the A77 is one of the major road improvement schemes included in the Strategic Roads Review. As I indicated on 24 June, we expect to report to Parliament on the Review after the summer recess.

Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the A95.

Sarah Boyack: Since trunking the road in 1996, improvements to a total value of £3.24m have been completed at Dulnain and Craggan. There are no current plans to undertake further improvements on the A95.

Transport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the remaining single track sections of the A830 Fort William to Mallaig Road.

Sarah Boyack: Plans for the section of road between Arisaig and Kinsadel are being considered within the Strategic Roads Review. My answer to Mr Tosh on 24 June provides the information on progress of the Review. We have no plans to upgrade the section of road between Loch Nan Uamh to Arisaig.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether he will list the numbers and categories of staff to be accommodated in the new parliament building under the £50 million cost plan and the revised £62 million cost plan.

Sir David Steel: The information requested is given in the table.

  


Staff/Worker 
  Category(1)

Original Brief
(£50m)(2)


Revised Brief
(£62m)(2)



MSPs 
  + MSPs’ researcher/secretary(3)

258


258



Clerks, 
  Administrative staff, Executive staff assigned to Ministers(4)

 
153


 
260



Facilities 
  and Security(5) Management and contracted service 
  providers

 
302


 
290





  (1)Staffing estimates for facilities management and security based on anticipated requirements (November 1998) at Holyrood. Clerks and other administrative staff as estimated at March 1999.

  (2)Excludes VAT, fees, contingencies, etc.

  (3)Allows one space per MSP for researcher/secretary.

  (4)Includes parliamentary clerks and administrative staff (excluding facilities and security management) and Executive staff assigned to Ministers who will use the building as necessary.

  (5)Includes parliamentary facilities and security management and possible contracted service providers eg mailroom, catering and day cleaners. Includes part-time staff.

Holyrood

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what is the total value of provisional sums, contingencies and daywork allowances provided for within the contracts awarded for the Holyrood project.

Sir David Steel: A figure for contingency, which includes daywork allowance, is built into the total building cost estimate of £109 million and is commercially confidential. Individual works packages are each allocated a budget to cover all of the costs associated with the package, including provisional sums. These cannot be separately identified until ‘invitations to tender’ are issued for each works package.

Holyrood

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what savings have been made in order to provide additional accommodation for staff in the new Parliament building at no additional cost.

Sir David Steel: The Parliament voted on 17 June to continue the Holyrood Project with an increased construction cost estimate of £62 million. This meant that no savings would have to be made by a lowering of the standard of materials to be used or otherwise, and that accommodation for the additional staff previously identified could be provided.

Holyrood

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether any of the contracts awarded for the Holyrood Project impose obligations upon the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to pay compensation for loss of work and breach of faith, and what advice did the SPCB take in relation to any court action in relation to loss of work or breach of faith being successful, in the event of the project being abandoned.

Sir David Steel: The contract conditions, which are standard to the construction industry, do not impose specific obligations to pay compensation for loss of work or breach of faith. Professional appointments and other contractors could however raise court actions for breach of contract which might include claims for damages related to loss of work and any other consequential losses. Legal advice was taken on the potential for such claims and related architectural and construction industry practices.